Remotely Piloted Aircraft Made By General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has purchased two additional SeaGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI).

The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is capable of medium-altitude, long-endurance flight of up to 24 hours. JCG deploys and operates SeaGuardian from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Air Station Hachinohe, primarily conducting Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) over the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. Missions include search and rescue, disaster response, and maritime law enforcement.

SeaGuardian contains a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging, automatic identification system receiver, and high-definition full motion video sensor with optical and infrared cameras. The sensors enable live detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.

Robert Schoeffling, Vice President of International Strategic Development at GA-ASI said, “SeaGuardian is the world’s premier asset for performing MWAS. We’re proud to support the Government of Japan’s policy to strengthen its maritime security.”

“Since JCG started operating SeaGuardians, they have been used for various JCG missions including supporting search and rescue and disaster response specifically during the 7.6 magnitude earthquake early this year near the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture and maritime surveillance during the 2023 G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, and the system has performed efficiently and effectively,” said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue.

FMI: www.ga-asi.com, www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/index_e.html